Thiruvananthapuram Corporation considering poultry waste transport in its own vehicles to prevent dumping

After instances of dumping poultry waste from the city in nearby panchayats, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation is now considering transporting poultry waste to treatment facilities in its own vehicles. However, according to Corporation officials, a final decision will be made only after considering cost factors as well as practical issues of managing the transport. Currently, the contract for transporting chicken waste to the two chicken waste rendering plants in Ernakulam is with private contractors.

The civic body was prompted to have a rethink on the transportation method after a recent case of poultry waste collected from shops in the capital city was dumped near Nedumangad. The driver involved in the case was arrested. The civic body also terminated his services. Dumping the collected poultry waste in nearby areas without transporting it all the way would enable the contractors to save on fuel costs and make more profits.

“At a meeting regarding this issue at the Corporation this week, we considered possible alternatives. One of the proposals was for the Corporation to run the vehicles on its own. If the Corporation is taking control of the entire operation, it is going to be a costly affair, but we can monitor the process from end-to-end and ensure that the collected waste reaches the destination. We would need vehicles with freezers as well as the human resource to manage everything,” said a Corporation official.

The lack of chicken waste rendering facilities in Thiruvananthapuram or nearby districts is also part of the problem. Although there were two such units in Kollam district, both are not functional currently. One of the plants was closed down due to public protests, while the other has not started functioning due to delay in getting clearance from the Forest department, said Corporation officials. The civic body is also planning to introduce an online payment system for poultry waste collection to prevent contractors collecting higher amounts from shop owners.